


The Mage's Apprentice

by APrettyLittleFire



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Bad Parenting, Daddy Issues, F/M, Haven't made up my mind, I Tried, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Sorry, Maybe just PWP, Not Beta Read, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Yussa is taller than cannon, but not by much, explicit for later chapters, inappropriate magic use, maybe 5ft 5, maybe slow burn?, mostly for me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:00:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25448740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/APrettyLittleFire/pseuds/APrettyLittleFire
Summary: A favor of a favor lands Nicolette Novrorsik in Yussa's tutelage. The mage doesn't seem all that thrilled with the situation. Nicolette is simply excited to the chance to start her life.(I am so sorry for all of this. I wrote this on 2 days without sleep. It has barely been proof read, so just take it as it is. It will be explicit in later chapters. For multiple reasons...)
Relationships: Yussa Errenis/Original Female Character
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1 (PG. TW: shitty father figure)

An elven woman sat on a cheselong, her silver sandals abandoned on the floor beside her. To her left was a small table with a pot of now cold tea and to her right stood a massive arched window that overlooked the sprawling city of Emon. From her vantage point within the Cloudtop district, she was able to see all the way to the sea cresting horizon. The sun was almost kissing the water, a warm glow reflected off roofs and windows. It was a chilly day, winter was coming faster this year, though the thick walls of the library and the ever burning embers of the fireplace kept her comfortable.

“Nicolette, come over here please,” she heard a voice call to her from the mahogany doorway. Her father was a behemoth of an elven man, tall and broad from years of armed combat. Nicolette closed the book in her lap and begrudgingly stepped into her sandals. She was dressed simply in a lightweight sky blue dress with silver accents. The fabric matched her eyes almost perfectly and the silver accented her pale cool toned skin. She was the spitting image of her mother; down her hair so ashen blonde, it was often mistaken for silver.

“Yes, father?” she asked softly, craning her neck to look him in the face. They held quite a disparity in height, almost two full feet separated her five foot flat frame from his. Her voice was soft and airy, years of etiquette and court training had made it so.

“There is someone who wishes to meet you,” his expression was tight and his tone was cold. She could guess what this was about. Ever since she could read, she had dreamt of becoming a mage. She had read of the Soltryce Academy of the Dwendalian Empire. As a young girl she viewed the Academy as both a place to further her knowledge of the arcane as well as an escape from her fathers near oppressive control of her life. She had pushed him for years, almost two decades at this point, to allow her to travel and study. “In my study,” her father continued, breaking her train of memory. She didn’t allow herself to hope, this was most likely simply another sutor her father had chosen for her. 

Ever since her little brother had been born, her father had been searching for some wealthy noble to marry her off to. Though each potential husband she managed to ward off one way or another. Nicolette followed her father to his study and passed silently into the large, dark wood panelled room.

“Victen,” a woman’s voice greeted them, “this is your daughter, Nicolette?” the new woman's attention shifted mid sentence. Nicolette looked up from the ground to see a human woman, she would guess in her early fifties. Though her age did not detract from her beauty. Long blond hair streaked with grey and a stunning cobalt blue dress. Victen glanced at Nicolette, expecting his daughter to speak for herself.

“I am she,” Nicolette spoke softly, taking a breath before continuing, “my father stated you wished to meet me.”

“That is true. I am Arcanist Allura Vysoren. Victen has spoken not only of your interest in the arcane but of your seemingly above average self-taught ability. I have come to see this for myself,” Nicolette’s eyes widened, she had read of Allura, who served as the Master of Arcana on the Council of Tal’Dorei. Nicolette’s posture immediately stiffened and she felt a lump rise in her throat.

“It’s nothing special, my lady,” she said quickly, “truely.”

“Your father seems to think otherwise,” Allura watched the young elf with some amusement, “show me a little of what you can do,” the Arcanist waved one hand, signaling for Nicolette to begin.

Nicolette could feel the sweat forming on her palms. She took a deep breath and placed her hands before her in a cupped position. After a few seconds of concentration, a bright yellow flame flickered to life within her hands. She felt no warmth from it though it did a good job at lighting her father's study. Slowly she pulled her hands apart and the flame followed, hanging like a rope between her palms. With a touch more effort, she caused the flame to expand, forming a sphere about a foot in diameter.

“That’s enough,” her father's annoyed tone shattered her concentration and the spell fizzled out. Victen had never been a fan of magic, in truth he despised the thing. He’d seen it drive too many good people to the brink of madness with its intoxicating power.

“That was impressive for one with no training,” Allura noted, “I’d be curious to see what your capabilities are with some tutoring,” Allura watched Nicolette with a keen eye, mostly fixated on the younger woman's emotion. Nicolette was difficult to read, years of living with her father had taught her to hide emotion well.

“I appreciate the officer, Arcanist Vysoren, however I would hate to take time out of your day,” Nicolette noted, she made tentative eye contact with the mage.

“Oh, that’s not exactly what I meant,” Allura spoke slowly, looking between Nicolette and her father, “I have a friend who lives in Nicodranas, a powerful mage by the name of Yussa Errenis. He is in my debt, and I am in your father’s debt. As a favor, Yussa has agreed to undertake your training.” It took Nicolette a few moments to take in what she had heard. She had been presented with the opportunity to train, seemingly one on one, with a powerful mage, almost as far away from her father as she could get. This truly was everything she had wished for and more. Nicolette sent off a quick mental ‘thank you’ to whichever deity was watching over her. She looked up at her father, trying to gauge his emotion. However, as always, he seemed disinterested and cold.

“I cannot express how thankful I am to both of you,” her mind was having issues putting words together.

“You leave today,” her father’s tone was a staunch comparison to her own. Where she was eager and thankful, he seemed to be dismissive and irritated, “Arcanist Allura has offered to take you with her by means of teleportation,” Victen turned to Allura, “may I have a word with my daughter in private. We will meet you in the drawing room if that is okay, let the servants know if there is anything you need.”

Allura nodded and wordlessly left the room. She seemed to float as she moved. As soon as the human woman was out of ear shot, Victen turned on Nicolette.

“This is for my own sanity more than it is for your education. I have exhausted every contact I have trying to find someone to take you off my hands. At this point I don’t care how you leave. I need you gone,” the words should have hurt her, though she had grown accustomed to the near constant barrage of discouragement and insult.

“I understand,” came the mono-tone reply. Ever since her mother had passed giving birth to her baby brother, Rikan, their father had become a cold and nearly heartless man. Nicolette knew little of her mother, she was merely a year old when her brother was born. Rikan had been lucky enough to elope with his wife at eighteen. A mere two years prior. That was his escape from their father, and now she had found hers.

She stared back at her father’s vile gaze, she would not let him ruin this for her. She was going to be free. It may not be forever, but she was determined to savor every second of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things will pick up. I promise. There won't be a consistent update schedule. I work 60 hours a week.


	2. Chapter 2 (PG. TW: none)

Allura watched Nicolette enter the drawing room. The young woman’s outfit had changed to something slightly more practical as well as formal. She wore a semi-fitted silver dress with light violet accentry that fell to her ankles paired with black traveling shoes. Her father carried her suitcase; she seemingly had few possessions she deemed of value by the size of the case. Her hair was pulled up and into a braid that formed a faux crown about her head. Had she been closer to Allura in age, the Arcanist may have thought Nicolette beautiful. Victan said his farewells to Allura and left hastily.

“Are you ready to leave?” Allura motioned to the predrawn chalk circle on the wooden floor. Nicolette nodded and took the Arcanists' outstretched hand. Allura bent down and made the final mark to complete the circle.

In a whoosh of power, Nicolette was whisked away from her hateful father and her cloistered life. The method of transport felt cold and she became instantly numb all over, the feeling was startling. It was as if she had leapt from a very warm space into a mound of snow. In an instant, she was deposited onto a cold stone surface.

Not used to the experience, her legs buckled from under her. A sharp pain flew through her thighs when her knees hit the ground and she knew it would bruise tomorrow. She managed to pull herself up to her feet once more and dust off her dress. Glancing about the room around her, she took in the chamber. It was relatively simple and dark, in the doorway stood a surprisingly short elven man with golden skin and shockingly white hair. It took Nicolette a moment to pull her gaze away. She had so rarely been let out of the house, anyone she met was new and amazing.

“Yussa, this is Lady Nicolette Novrorsik. She’s Victan’s daughter,” Allura presented her the way one might present a painting. Nicolette watched the man's face, he showed no emotion. She wasn’t sure if that worried or relieved her.

“Just Nicolette is fine,” she piped up, “it’s truly an honor to be here,” she smiled nervously. Yussa nodded and waved a hand. Nicolette tried not to let shock creep over her face as a very well dressed goblin turned into the room.

“This is Wensforth, he will help you with your belongings and show you to your room,” Yussa turned after speaking and left the goblin, the girl, and the Arcanist to their own devices. There was a beat of awkward silence between the three of them. Nicolette did not know what to say to the goblin, Wensforth was waiting for Nicolette to tell him what to pick up, and Allura was perplexed by Yussa’s sudden disappearance.

“He’s not always like that,” Allura rested a hand on Nicolette’s shoulder, attempting to be comforting, “I’m sure he's just as nervous as you are.”

Nicolette nodded, acknowledging the woman's words. She picked up her own suitcase. It wasn’t terribly heavy so she carried it on her own, “if you could show me to my room, Mr. Wensforth, I would much appreciate it,” she spoke softly. Wensforth lead and Allura followed for a short time before breaking off through a thick door that seemed to enter into a study. From what little Nicolette saw as she walked by, Yussa was inside staring out a window.

Wensforth stopped before a plain, pale wood door. Not paying much attention, Nicolette almost ran him over, “I’m so sorry, I must not have been watching where I was going,” she apologized.

“Not to worry, mistress,” the Goblin shushed her, unlocking the door, “welcome to your room,” the door swung open revealing a small but comfortable bedroom. The center of the wall to her left was dominated by a medium sized bed, comparable to her father's home. There was no art on the walls, and the only rug on the floor was beige. The room also contained a desk, an empty bookshelf, and a dresser. Curiously, none of the furniture seemed to match. Nicolette decided that was part of the room's personality. 

“I’ll let you unpack,” the goblin waited at the doorway while Nicolette put her suitcase down on the bed, “I’ll be back in about a half hour to take you to dinner,” he bowed shallowly.

“Thank you very much, Mr. Wensforth, you’ve been exceedingly helpful,” she knew her tone seemed fake but she was genuinely thankful. Years of training had forced a fake tone into her.

“Anytime, mistress,” he closed the door and left the young elf to her own thoughts. Nicolette plopped herself down on the bed and attempted to process what had happened in the last few hours. Never in her wildest imagination could she dream she would be whisked away by Arcanist Allura Vysoren and end up in the home of another powerful mage who is to be her instructor in the finer arts.

That's where her mind got hung up. It was stupid to admit but she was expecting a bit of a warmer greeting than she had received. Yussa had seemed cold and distant. She could only hope that Allura was correct and the other elf was simply nervous. It crept into her mind that maybe Yussa detested students. Maybe she would be treated just the same as her father had. That would be something her father would try to orchestrate. To give her what she wants but find some way to ruin it. The idea caused a wellspring of ice to form in her stomach. Dinner was soon but she had suddenly lost her appetite.

Nicolette had unpacked precisely none of her clothes by the time Wensforth had returned to collect her once more. She had sat on her new bed lost in thought and worry. It was a fairly common occurrence for her to be lost in her own mind. What once was an escape seemed more and more like a prison with every passing day.

“The Master requested fish and vegetables for dinner tonight, will that suit you as well, mistress?” Wensforth asked politely. His accent was odd but Nicolette decided she enjoyed it.

“That is perfectly fine,” she replied as they headed down the stairway. They broke off into a hallway, the smell greeted her before they reached the large open double doors. Stepping through the threshold, Nicolette found herself in a medium sized dining room. The table within was about ten feet long and set for two at opposite ends. Yussa was already sitting and seemed to be waiting on her arrival. “I’m sorry if I have kept you waiting, Master Errenis,” she sat quickly, steaming food was already before her.

“You did not, and no need to call me Master,” Yussa stated before taking a small bite of fish. She watched his movements, they were delicate and efficient. Again, he was expressionless as he ate. Finishing his bite, Yussa spoke again, “Yussa is fine for day to day use,” Nicolette nodded once again.

They did not speak for a few minutes after that. The awkward tension beat like a drum in the room though neither party acknowledged it. Eventually Yussa broke the silence.

“We will start your training tomorrow at noon. I have some errands and work that must be done in the morning. There are a few rules I request you follow. First being that you do not enter my study or chambers at any time without my express permission. Second, if you wish to visit the city, have Wensforth or myself accompany you. Nicodranas is not as safe as Emon, especially down by the docks. Third, you are not to use any magic I have not taught you. Fourth, absolutely no evocation magic outside of my study,” Nicolette nodded along.

“That seems fair,” she replied, Yussa seemed to have nothing else to say so Nicolette turned back to her food. She finished quickly, “this food was very good,” she noted.

“You can thank Wensforth,” Yussa replied, standing from the table, “tomorrow and noon, remember. Beside training, your time is your own though I do expect a certain amount of work put in outside of our time together.”

“Of course M-” she stopped herself, “Yussa. I look forward to my first lesson,” it was a struggle to keep the eagerness out of her voice. A struggle she won if barely. Yussa nodded and began towards the doors. Wensforth, as if on cue, began clearing the plates from their meal and their untouched cups of wine.

“I will see you then,” Yussa replied just before leaving the room. As he left a weight seemed to lift off Nicolette’s chest. She took a deep breath. That meal had been very tense and she still had no idea why this master of the arcane acted so strange around her. Shrugging off her thoughts for now, she bid farewell to Wensforth and retraced her steps to her room. Tomorrow was bound to be tiring no matter how it ended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #NotWhatYouThink


End file.
